Catholic Girls... HELP Please!

So my wedding is NEXT week and I still have no clue about how the ceremony goes... I'm having a ceremony, not a full mass - what is involved, and what is the order of things?

My priest is talking about optional things like:

sign of peace
bringing flowers to blessed mother
bringing flowers to our mothers
pretending to sign the marriage license up on the alter
candle lighting


What is normal for a church ceremony, and not a mass?

Also, did you only specify reading choices or do you also pick out the opening prayer, responsorial psalm, gospel, etc....?

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Posted by 08JulyBride

So my wedding is NEXT week and I still have no clue about how the ceremony goes... I'm having a ceremony, not a full mass - what is involved, and what is the order of things?

My priest is talking about optional things like:

sign of peace
bringing flowers to blessed mother
bringing flowers to our mothers
pretending to sign the marriage license up on the alter
candle lighting


What is normal for a church ceremony, and not a mass?

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Arer you catholic? If not you prob dont want to bringing flowers to blessed mother . Sign of the peace is where everyone shakes hands or hugs/kisses. Flowers to mothers is nice...candle lighting is nice....all things except bringing flowers to blessed mother (unless you want to of course )

I am Catholic though I don't go to church often I just have never seen any of those things done at a regular ceremony before.. except the candle

I might be able to help. I literally JUST got the order of the ceremony emailed to me by our Deacon. We are also having just a ceremony and not a full mass. I've never seen or heard of any of those things being done except for the candle lighting, which we are doing. Here's how ours is going:

Greeting
Opening prayer
Ist reading
Responsorial Psalm
2nd reading
Gopsel Acclamation
Gospel
Homily
Consent
Exchange of Vows
Blessing of the Rings
UNity Candle lighting
General Intercessions
Our Father
Hand Prayer
Nuptial Blessing
Blessing of the people

We did choose what readings we wanted and which Gospel we wanted. We were told that our organist will choose the responsorial psalm and other music (after meeting w/ us). HTH!

I went over everything with our Deacon as well. And have a VERY detailed list of the ceremony. Our deacon did this for us.

Did you have a meeting with your priest? I'm kind of surprised they didn't ask you to pick the readings or songs. they gave us books to pick from.

Thanks for that info RisiLeigh.. that will help..

My confusion stems from the fact that the priest is from another church where they apparently do things VERY differently from my church....

My church gave me a book to pick those items from and the priest from the other church asked me why I am wasting time with 'that non-sense'

So I have the right hand and left hand telling me opposite things to do... I need this aggravation like a hole in the head

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Posted by 08JulyBride

Thanks for that info RisiLeigh.. that will help..

My confusion stems from the fact that the priest is from another church where they apparently do things VERY differently from my church....

My church gave me a book to pick those items from and the priest from the other church asked me why I am wasting time with 'that non-sense'

So I have the right hand and left hand telling me opposite things to do... I need this aggravation like a hole in the head

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Oh wow, yeah, I can see how that would drive you crazy! If the priest is working in your church, he really should do things the way THEY say, not the way he is. It's sort of like he's a guest. Sheesh!

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Posted by RisiLeigh

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Posted by 08JulyBride

Thanks for that info RisiLeigh.. that will help..

My confusion stems from the fact that the priest is from another church where they apparently do things VERY differently from my church....

My church gave me a book to pick those items from and the priest from the other church asked me why I am wasting time with 'that non-sense'

So I have the right hand and left hand telling me opposite things to do... I need this aggravation like a hole in the head

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Oh wow, yeah, I can see how that would drive you crazy! If the priest is working in your church, he really should do things the way THEY say, not the way he is. It's sort of like he's a guest. Sheesh!

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I agree, AND he's not coming to the rehearsal, so the church lady will rehearse us one way then the priest will show up day of and do something completely different...

this is how mine went... (we picked EVERY single thing from the Together for life book)

opening prayer
old testament reading
responsorial psalm
new testament reading
gospel acclamation and verse
exchange of vows
blessing of rings
prayer of the faithful
nuptial blessing
final blessing

we were done in 20min

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Posted by Soon2BMrsD

this is how mine went... (we picked EVERY single thing from the Together for life book)

opening prayer
old testament reading
responsorial psalm
new testament reading
gospel acclamation and verse
exchange of vows
blessing of rings
prayer of the faithful
nuptial blessing
final blessing

we were done in 20min

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Do you think that was a good amount of time?

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Posted by 08JulyBride

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Posted by Soon2BMrsD

this is how mine went... (we picked EVERY single thing from the Together for life book)

opening prayer
old testament reading
responsorial psalm
new testament reading
gospel acclamation and verse
exchange of vows
blessing of rings
prayer of the faithful
nuptial blessing
final blessing

we were done in 20min

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Do you think that was a good amount of time?

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honeslty it was PERFECT! it felt like it was 45 mins (due to nerves and what not) but everyone said it was not too long not too short and it was really personal. (im not a church go-er) i was nervous that it would be something i didnt want I loved that i was able to pick everything out.. all of the things i listed above i picked from a book so i knew EXACTLY what to expect.

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Posted by Soon2BMrsD

this is how mine went... (we picked EVERY single thing from the Together for life book)

opening prayer
old testament reading
responsorial psalm
new testament reading
gospel acclamation and verse
exchange of vows
blessing of rings
prayer of the faithful
nuptial blessing
final blessing

we were done in 20min

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Oh shoot - I just realized that my Deacon didnt include the Prayer of the Faithful in the outline! I know it's happening but maybe he called it some thing else... I will have to ask him. Thanks for posting, Meg, cuz I completely didnt notice LOL!